A Moon's Glow
by The Unpredictable Muse
Summary: Allison Bishop moves to Forks after inheriting her grandmother's home. After a car accident leaves her temporarily vulnerable, an abusive ex from the past shows up and threatens to turn her into a vampire. Running to the only allies she knows can help her, Allison must reconcile with her past to fix her future - all the while the events of Twilight unfold.
1. Intro

Characters – For Reference

Allison Bishop – Human, 30 years old

Ellena Bishop – Her Deceased Grandmother ( And connection to Forks)

Nikolai Mikhalev – Allison Bishop's ex-fiance, 27 years old

Enzo Mariani – A made vampire in 1405, mate of Sehkhet Mariani

Sehkhet Mariani- A made vampire in 1211 b.c., mate of Enzo Mariani

(Just for reference Aro was made in the 1300 b.c. Ancient Greece)

Critical Changes to the Canon-

I made Rosalie, Jasper, Emmett, and Alice older while Edward is still in high school.


	2. Chapter 1

I looked out the window at the house that now became mine. I know I should be happy about it – I finally owned a home, a 3 bedroom, 1 and half bath, two floored home complete with a basic basement and livable attic. Yet my shattered heart couldn't allow me to understand that this was as much a joyful moment as it was a sad one. Ellena Bishop passed away in her sleep while in the hospital under the care of Dr. Gregor Mackavoy, at the ripe old age of 89. I, Allison Bishop, inherited the house while the rest of the estate covered her medical bills.

Forks, Washington wasn't my first choice of a place to live, but as a writer, a published writer, I could live anywhere I wanted and still maintain a fairly decent living. The world didn't know me as Allison Bishop, instead Chauncey Adams, high-fantasy novelist that detailed the lives of humans and demons co-existing in the same universe but different realms divided by a veil. It was currently a five book series, expanding into seven. To everyone in Forks, I was my grandmother's beloved granddaughter, the break out hit that brought pride and respect to the family name. Everyone I met and introduced myself to kept telling me how great of a woman she was, as if I only saw her during the holidays.

They didn't know that Gram, and every female in our bloodline, were witches. We practiced witchcraft since our earliest ancestor, Bridget Bishop, was hanged in the Salem Witch trials. Almost like a curse, as if to spite the Christians that hunted down witches and killed them, the gift grew stronger with each generation. Gram practiced it more than my mother or me, and she always told me that I needed to become more involved with my gift. I told her that it was just magic, but now that she's gone, it's more than magic. It's the link that held our bloodline together, and it is also the reason I would never sell the house.

Ingrained in the walls of that home was magic. Every corner I turned was a memory. Every cup of tea I made in the kitchen down to every time I soaked in the bath tub with bubbles, it brought back happy memories that threatened to overwhelm me with the desire to see my grandmother again. Except she was dead, and I was alive, and no amount of magic could bring her back.

" Are you ready to go inside?" Dr. Cullen's asked me as he pulled his vehicle up the drive and parked it in front of the garage, pausing long enough to sense that I didn't want to set for in that museum of memories. " My wife has an extra room that she would not mind permitting you to use-"

I shake my head. " I need-to confront it all. Gram, she wanted me to have this, and for better or worse-it's mine," I shake my head again, this time to force back a potential meltdown that I did not want to have in front of the good doctor. He'd been so kind to my grandmother that I didn't want him to feel obligated that he had to be kind to me as well. " I would like you to walk me inside, if you could-"

His hand rested on mine now, a smile resting on me. Gram must've loved that smile. " She was strong in the end. Spoke about you and your mother in length. Are you sure you don't want to-"

I open the car door and step out into the rain. It rained a lot in Forks. The rain felt right today. It fell with a vengeance, but I didn't mind. It echoed the pain and fury holding me captive, forcing my body to respond with something other than tears. It felt good, therapeutic almost to just stand there staring up at the home that I now inherited.

A reassuring hand rested on her arm, as if waiting permission to lead me inside. Carlisle kept still. " I am sorry about Ellena. It was so sudden, no one saw it coming," Tears mixed with the rain as they fell upon flesh, spurred forth by the guilt of not returning a stupid little phone call.

Somehow I responded calmly. " I know, and she's in a better place than the rest of us," Leading the way up to the steps, I dug around in the coat pocket for a set of keys, finding the bulky cluster at the bottom of the deep pocket, and pressed the key into the lock. Pushing open the front door, I watched it swing wide open to reveal a long hallway that lead to the kitchen and dining room. A living room and office/library were on the immediate left and right. Everything smelled fresh, as if it'd been freshly cleaned and vacuumed. Had it been freshly cleaned?

We entered together, arms interlocked, into the tomb of a home. Everything was in the same place it'd been when she moved from the house to the hospital. Shriveled flowers, once alive, leaned off to the side in a clear vase on a small stand next to the shoe rack and coat hooks on the wall. Carlisle kept his silence but I could not. " I want to thank you….for being a good man. Not only to my grandmother,-" Looking into his eyes, I found myself admiring his countenance. " But for also being the good doctor you are. The people of Forks don't understand how hard it must be for your kind to coexist so peacefully among the humans,"

He didn't even blink. " Pardon?"

" Well, I'm sure Gram told you all about our illustrious family line, and if you weren't enlightened about her knowledge of plants, gems, and rocks and their connection to life and magic, then you have been simply misinformed of what she was. But even you know that there are things to go bump in the night that aren't vampires, shapeshifters, or stupid criminals," It felt good to be snappy and bitter, pushed away the sadness for a later moment to wallow in. " We are witches, Mr. Cullen, and because of that, we also know when we are near other supernatural. You exhibit all the signs of a vampirism, although that does not make you inherently evil,"

He closed the door at a human speed, to which I credited him great patience and control. For a moment I thought he would attack me, but instead, he nodded. " We may have discussed such a topic," He permitted.

I slipped my wet running shoes off onto the rack. I was honestly too tired to think of rearranging anything. " Then you know that I do not care what you are or what your family is. I just lost my grandmother and the town is badgering me. I don't need an extra room, but I am a good friend to have if you need help. Right now I don't need anything but privacy, a bed to curl up in, and something to drown out the sobbing," It was the truth, a painful one. " Thank you for seeing me home…You know where I'll be if you need me,"

I didn't bother saying goodnight as I walked up the stairs off to the right and up to the bedrooms. My grandmother kept two bedrooms, using the third bedroom as a closet/storage room for everything that didn't have a proper place elsewhere in the house. Dropping on the guest room bed, I finally let the tears fall, never minding that I was still in damp clothes or that I just left a vampire alone in the house. Grabbing the pillow, I covered my head and allowed myself to fall in the grateful sleep.

As Carlisle related how his visit with Allison Bishop progressed, Esme and Alice listened. Emmett and Rosalie were out hunting, and Edward plucked away at the piano, composing a piece lacking inspiration. The constant starting and stopping definitely proved that he did not favor the current composition. " We have another Witch in forks," He summed up. " Alice, have you seen anything-"

" She's going to be in a car crash and severely hurt," Alice answered him. " A drunk driver….I think,"

Esme nodded as she busied herself with cleaning the kitchen for no other purpose than to appear human. It was a practice that helped them blend in easier. " We can not interfere in what is meant to happen, the poor thing. To lose a grandmother and then to possibly be in a car crash…it almost doesn't seem fair," The mother turned to her adoptive daughter and struggled with the desire to help.

Alice stared at her pretty pink nail polish, taking a seat on a stool. She suffered through her visions, some were pleasant, others were dark, and often enough they were incomplete. It would shift as people changed their course of actions. She loathed the incomplete visions, wanting to see a vision to its end, if only for closure. They hurtled through life as a coven, never able to consistently live out their lives in one place for too long. When they moved from one place to another, there was always closure. Jasper suffered worse with his inability to control his thirst entirely, and only time could cure Jasper's pain and suffering. In comparison to Jasper, she could never really say she suffered as he did.

" She offered her aid to us should we ask for it," Carlisle said.

" Her grandmother offered help to the locals before, often without being asked," Esme echoed, recalling her general acquaintance with the deceased woman. " I doubt that there is actual magic,"

" Why would magic not exist? We do," Alice argued.

One could argue that vampirism was a naturally occurring genetic fault that was able to be passed along like a communicable disease or infection, incurable except by death. If Alice were to stand on that point with Esme, then magic could not be real. The very definition of magic supported the supernatural but as Esme required solid proof, it did not define magic as a substantial, quantifiable source. She could argue that magic, therefore, was a byproduct of the environment's actions upon a person and the superstitious beliefs that lead people to believe even if substantive proof did not exist. That argument was widely supported by people's beliefs in gods and deities of great abilities.

" Magic is not real. It can not affect you if you do not believe in it," Esme met her argument, unwilling to budge. " If the power is real, then I have not seen it so blatant,"

" Why does it need to be blatant to be real?"

" We are real. Magic is something people cling to when no other explanation is offered,"

Carlisle stood at the end of the island, between the two women. He lived with both long enough to know that Esme required proof whereas Alice trusted in her visions and believed in the existence of magic. He understood the need for proof as a doctor, and as an ER doctor, he prepared himself to be seeing Allison Bishop in his ER someday. " I have, in ways that there is no quantifiable evidence. The nurses lived better lives after meeting her. They smiled more, they laughed more. Whether that is because of the magic or simply the woman, does it matter?" He looked between the women.

Alice shrugged. " I know what I see, and that is always subject to change," She hid her annoyance with a soft smile, if only to appease the neutral party.

" I still believe that the woman was nothing more than an inspiring kind woman who had kind words to share," Esme also smiled at Carlisle. " I know you liked her, but she wasn't a witch. She's just a spiritual healer,"

Leaving Carlisle and Esme to argue about it, Alice skipped off to Edward's side to listen to him compose and play the piano, at least for the moment.


	3. Chapter 2

Forks, Washington. The forecast showed rain. The weather patterns supported even more rain. It seemed a quiet place enough, Kheti decided, as she rented out the house down the street from Allison Bishop. At first her Egyptian heritage fascinated the neighbors. Everyone wanted to know how she liked the United States, if she supported the President of the United States, and a few brave men even asked if she was married. She promptly raised her left hand, wiggling her fingers, one boasting of a rose gold and silver interwoven diamond and ruby studded wedding band. It crushed any hope that the men could interest her, and then the talk focused on the wedding band.

For the first three days she talked in a thick, ancient accent before abruptly dropping the accent altogether and sharing with everyone she talked to that she was born in the US to two immigrant parents who properly applied for work visas and lived in the US for over forty years. They eventually became naturalized citizens themselves as she was a toddler. As she recently won the lottery a year ago, she decided to travel and settle down, if only to get her head on straight before committing to anything permanent.

She found herself at odds with the truth and her mate's intentions to turn Allison Bishop into a vampire. Allison's growing magical ability as a witch had been tracked by Enzo since he started watching the Bishop bloodline over the generations. The possible ability that Allison could bring to the coven excited him and unnerved her. She long since seen what a devotion to a belief could do a society and people in general. The devotion to the gods in her original time seemed appropriate, respectful even. Looking back to the 1200 B.C. a shudder wracked her body.

The blindness and naivety of the people appalled her. Vampires helped drive the belief in gods. It gave the priests the power to control the population while the Pharoah bowed his will and might to the priesthood out of servitude to the sacred beliefs. Worse was the medical care then. Sekhet long since forsaken her family name, and back then, her family barely scraped by. When she almost died of Malaria, a physician spared her mortal death in exchange for immortality. Sekhet had been grateful then for the merciful extension of her young life and never regretted serving the man that saved her from a certain death. They didn't call it malaria then, but the physician knew enough to know she couldn't survive another week.

What Enzo wanted to do with Allison Bishop wasn't out of necessity, or even a want of companionship. It centered around him being a selfish being unable to respect the webs that were spun that allowed people to co-exist in peace and harmony. He once appealed to the Volturi, and now that they rejected him, he sought a greater prize – replacing the Volturi with his own band of leaders. Vampires needed the Volturi, and the Volturi understood how to curb the vampire numbers. She refused to play into his schemes, and that was why she traveled to Forks. Enzo was her mate, and because she loved him, she was going to protect him from himself.

That didn't make her mission easier. The presence of the Olympic Coven fumbled her first attempt to speak to the young woman. She decided to make a house call to the Cullens one early morning to better assure them that she meant no harm to the human witch. Before she could even knock, a petite raven haired female answered. " You must be Sehkhet Mariani," Alice Cullen greeted her.

" I am," Kheti answered equally pleasant, allowing a small smile to appear across her otherwise neutral visage. " I wish to speak with your mother."

Alice stepped aside. " Come this way. We've been waiting for you,"

" We?"

" Esme, Emmett, Jasper, and myself," The spirit-like female answered. " We have questions,"

" As do I," Kheti agreed. She reserved all other questions until they progressed through the house to the kitchen where everyone either sat on a stool or leaned against the counter. Taking in everything, Kheti calculated how often the house suffered damage from the many vampires that inhabited it.

Each person stiffened as Kheti entered the kitchen behind Alice. Alice sat herself down on the counter itself, earning a glance of disrespect from Rosalie. All noted the burgundy color of Kheti's eyes. Kheti made no apologies for her choice of food source. She put up both hands as a show of peace, and moved to position herself so that she could see all of them at the same time. She understood what an anomaly they were in the vampire world. For someone who lived as long as she had, a coven of their size defied odds. Furthermore to feed on wildlife and stay as strong as they had impressed her.

The lure of human blood sang to her so much that she could not imagine sustaining herself on animal blood. She used far more humane methods of survival. Her blood source connections permitted her to tap into donations that prevented her from attacking the populace for the most part. Enzo, on the other hand, preferred to feed from the homeless, the poor, the violent, and the criminal element. As much as she loved her mate, she also loathed his choices in life sustenance. More than once they had to throw the trail off of them after he created bloody trails that had police creating profiles on the same 'serial killer'.

No one said anything until Kheti unzipped her damp, double layered moss green jacket. Emmett tensed up, prepared to restrain her. " I lack a medical reason to speak with Carlisle. As I understand, he's been helping the witch navigate her mourning. I wished to speak with him first, but time necessitates that I introduce myself to you first," She glanced down at her waterproof wristwatch. " In a week's time, my mate will leave Canada, and with him, bring a young vampire of only 2 years of immortal age,"

Concern flickered across Rosalie's RBF, otherwise known Resting Bitch Face to the Egyptian ancient. The American beauty crossed her arms over her chest. " Is this young vampire also a human feeder?"

Human feeder. What perfectly crude and honest assessment. Why did that upset her then? She came to them knowing how she would be viewed, and yet her expectations of this coven failed to meet the reality. " Yes. He will be known to Miss Bishop as her former fiancé. The young man is in love with her, despite being separated for over two years. He is the bait, however, to lure the lady into the clutches of my mate, Enzo Mariani. Enzo intends to turn her and make her a part of her family," She neglected to mention his desire to betray the Volturi, an offense that might very well demand her head.

She loved Enzo and valued their bond. If she could stop him from ruining his life, she might be able to save the world and him at the same time. If she couldn't stop him but hinder him, the Volturi would spare her. Their laws were practical by nature and helped them live as long as they have without being widely hunted by humans.

" Is the Volturi aware of Allison Bishop?"

" I would hope not. Not all witches turned have abilities, and those that do have abilities after turned are often unstable," Sekhet found herself recalling various meetings over the many centuries. Witch craft always existed in co-existence with Werewolves, Shapeshifters, and Vampires. " The stability that is gained is often centuries after surviving the turning," The coven before her was young. Carlisle, the founding member, was the youngest, and her mate predated Carlisle by a century and half. None of them possibly could understand the danger of turning a witch, and Enzo refused to listen to her warnings.

" The Volturi also dictate that if a human knows of us, they will need to be turned and as Allison hasn't made her knowledge of our origins known-" Rosalie started to point out.

Emmett shook his head. " Witches are exempted from that law, as long as they do know harm to the vampire race or attempt to out us, Rose," The mountain of a man acknowledged Kheti. " He is absolutely determined in this goal?"

" Enzo is headstrong. He does not care for boundaries or beliefs. He will seek what he believes is rightfully his to take,"

" The witch is not rightfully his," Esme declared, all heads turning to her. Her voice was soft and motherly, yet the hardness in her features warned Sehkhet she was not to be challenged. " If any blood is spilled in Forks, the Quilleute Pack will exact blood on the offending party,"

" I am aware of this," She was aware of many things. The ability to never sleep and to be always alert often lead the woman to keep tabs on the Vampire 'Nation'. She considered herself a historian of their achievements and notable events. This did not mean that she followed every current event of note, as that would require more time than she had in a day, days in a month, and months in a year. " I am also aware that my mate will not respect those boundaries regardless of the consequences, which is why I offer my services to the Coven. I have…lived a full life, often thought too long by many, I wish to see Enzo live, even if it is as the prisoner of the Volturi,"

Emotion thick in her throat, she didn't trust herself to speak further. The very lack of heartbeat defied the swelling emotion in her chest threatening to claw its way out past the organs, ribs, and skin. Jasper reeled from the depth of her pain and fury, a pained expression permanently marring his handsome face. " They do not take prisoners,"

" They will take him prisoner," Sehkhet insisted. She had no abilities to speak of, other than her age. Her loyalty to the laws consisted solely of the need to survive in a world that did not support their right to exist. " As the Historian of Vampire Past, Present, and Future, I have the ear of the Volturi and understand their laws. Without their laws, we would be hunted down and exterminated as the Children of the Moon were and are,"

Esme bristled under the authority exercised before her. " You will be betraying your mate," Everyone observed Sekhet now as she nodded. " You are choosing the Volturi over your mate, Your mate will never forgive you," Vampires were infamous for being stuck in the grasp of emotions for long periods of time due to their bodies 'being frozen' in time. Nikolai Mikhalev would never know love with another as long he lived because of his undying love for Allison Bishop. If Sekhet went against Enzo, Enzo would never forgive her. It may even cause Enzo to kill her.

" I am aware of that, and I support the continuation of our race over an early extinction. This visit is a warning to you to protect Miss Bishop," Sekhet made a show of producing a personalized business card, black with white Papyrus print. " That is my contact information…I'm staying in the area until Enzo is driven from the area,"

Rosalie moved forward. Formerly reserved, she now offered a hand. Sehkhet allowed her to take the offered business card and shook her hand at the same time. Alice stayed sitting on the counter top cross legged, frowning and cocking her head. " We wish you luck in your mission,"

" I love Enzo, Rosalie. It's not luck I need, but forgiveness when this has all transpired," Sekhet excused herself, Emmett following her to the door as Rosalie held back with Esme, Alice, and Jasper. No one spoke until the female left the premise and Emmett returned to reassure them that the woman did indeed leave the immediate area.

Alice turned to her adoptive mother. Rosalie beat her to it. " We must warn Allison Bishop,"

Already assuming that this was the required course of action, Esme breathed deeply. " Carlisle has been speaking to her of Ellena Bishops contributions to Forks' citizens. If the Bishops were to lose grandmother and granddaughter, it would be unthinkable," She allowed herself to absorb the gravity of the situation.

" I do not believe that she is defenseless against vampires," Alice stated clearly. " People will do anything for love,"

" If you are counting on the newborn," Rosalie snapped. " A devoted woman willing to imprison her mate to see him live just left this house not more than ten minutes ago,"

" I am not counting on people to be rational," Alice said serenely. " I am counting on people to do what is best. It may very well be a sacrifice, but we must do what must be done,"

Jasper winced from the growing tensions in the kitchen between his darling mate and his antagonistic sister. Esme nodded in gentle understanding with Jasper. " Who will speak with the witch?" Jasper cut them both off before he needed to kill something. Sometimes his Alice and Rosalie worked on his nerves like Peter and Charlotte. When that happened, he needed a break from their presence. It'd been too long since he seen his friends and first family.

Grabbing her satchel full of swath samples, color sample cards, and general design sketches, Esme vowed that such a noble sacrifice as inspiring one's mate's hatred would not go in vain. She didn't give the others a chance to stop her as she grabbed the car keys and travel the human way.


	4. Chapter 3

When an apple falls from the tree, it has no option but to fall. If an exterior force catches it, its impact is shorter than intended. If it is not caught before it hits the ground, the bruising on the fruit is more severe. Yet the apple that falls to the ground is yet appreciated and consumed, therefore not forgotten. In a way, I felt like the apple. I was supposed to follow in the footsteps of my ancestors, yet I have failed them in a way that is unmentionable. I refuse to practice the craft wholeheartedly, not because I don't believe, but because I fear the consequences that come with being caught.

The Salem Witch Trials terrorized so many innocent. While apologies and compensation were granted to the families of the 20 people killed during the trials, it did not undue the damage. It caused the damage to be more painful. It violated the trust between neighbors, causing divide and upheaval.

When I was a child, my mother and grandmother taught me that privacy is of the utmost importance. My gift was not to be squandered on those who would not value it. The one man I thought I could trust betrayed me, and I – I lost the love of my life. At the time, it felt more than that. It felt like someone ripped a hole in my chest as I recounted family history. I ran and left Nikolai behind, severing all connection with him.

Or so I thought I had.

Three days after Esme warned me of impending danger, I resolved myself to be strong and brave. If I was going to die, then I was going to die a proud, admirable woman. I would serve my family well, and hopefully I had a daughter for the gift to pass to. Or forbid, a son would could bear the family gift despite the unbroken line of female inheritors.

That resolve spawned from waking up to find Nikolai watching me sleep. His hand tucked my hair behind my ear affectionately as he smiled down at me. I didn't speak, nor did he. We stared into each other eyes, acknowledging what the other was in a way that never could've been comprehended or even appreciated before. He didn't need to kill me for knowing what he was, and I didn't need to hide my gift from him. The comfort that brought me did very little to still the anger and resentment within at the abuse I suffered by his hand. My cheek still ached from that vicious backhand, my throat reminded of how hard he could squeeze.

" I missed you," He finally said as the alarm clock displayed 12 am.

Tears tugged at my heart then, his thumb brushing them away gently with familiarity that he did not deserve.

" It's been two years since I've been turned….All I can think about is having you in my arms, at my side, as my eternal bride,"

" Niko," How I ached to hear those words before. Now they just tore apart the defenses I built up around the fortress he once had full access to. " Witches make horrible vampires…it'd be like nursing a newborn baby for well over 50 years before we could be trusted alone with another vampire,"

" I know…" His fingers kept stroking my messy bed head hair. It worked keeping my nerves soothed. " I ache knowing that we could have been so much more by now,"

" Meaning if you weren't so stupid?" I dared as I watched his lips twitch from that smile into a flat line, if only for a second. My heart remembered, it never stopped loving him. How does one put a five year relationship behind and then stride forward as if that relationship didn't matter any more? The answer to that question is that they don't. They don't put it behind them. They cringe. They hide. Beg, plead, and steal the moments of peace they can at whatever acceptable price.

He leaned over to steal a kiss, his lips cold and yielding to my own. For a moment I close my eyes pretending like he's human and enjoy the cold embrace. His hand resting on the back of my neck, curved and firm yet just enough pressure to soothe my frayed and insecure nerves. Nikolai repeats my name against my lips before pulling back. " I want you to become my wife,"

" And I want you to be human,"

" We both know that time will not reverse that," Gazing up into his lovely gray eyes, I find myself falling for him over and over, lost in that vicious cycle that refused to give my heart peace. I tried to find love after I left him and I failed to find it. Now here he was invading my life and demanding something I couldn't give him. " If you allow-"

A flicker out of the corner of my eye, and a well muscled man of seeming Latino descent stood in the corner of the room no more than three feet from me. He said nothing, yet his eyes spoke volumes. Whereas Nikolai wanted to hold me close and never let go, this man wanted to bleed me dry – or at the very least – make me suffer. No kindness or fondness registered in his gaze. He stood still as a statue as Nikolai lost the nerve to finish what he wanted to speak.

My gaze moved from Nikolai and the black velvet box he held in his hand to the wall of pictures that dated as far back as possible for my family bloodline. Women prominently ran the length of the top of the wall, descending down to the males who carried the genetics to pass on the gift to another. One entire wall documented my family's wealth and success at protecting the lineage. Another wall featured more simple pleasures – a child playing in an indoor sandbox built in a sun room because it rained too much in Forks. Another picture showed my mother and father holding me as an infant, with my grandmother behind them. My grandfather missed that photo by needing to go to the doctors. Then there was the picture of me and several of my childhood friends from La Push. Witches and Shapeshifters got along famously, as Shapeshifters descended from spiritual people who could astral project themselves.

" Memory lane?" An Italian accent teased. Nikolai half laid himself out over me to shield me as he stared down the Italian. " Move aside, we are wasting time-"

" You said she would be turned willingly-"

" I lied, now move!"

" No,"

" She is not yours to have, boy-"

" You promised me that this would be done my-"

They seemed to be speaking to each other, their lips moving too fast for me to hear anything. Nikolai might have added muscle since I've last seen him, and the way he hovered over me offered an escape. A firm hand pressed down on my chest, effectively pinning me to the bed. " Stay," Nikolai ordered, his gaze forward on his creator.

Stay? What was I – his obedient slave now?!

" If she is permitted to stay mortal, she will grow old and die, Nikolai. You will have a broken heart," The man started to reason. My heartbeat picked up as I looked up at Nikolai's chest, inhaling his heady cologne that he liked to wear. His hand planted on top my breast, possibly not to grope – only to pin. Cold seeped through his body to mine, sending chills through my otherwise cold form. The thin blanket over top me didn't even help. " She must be turned-

" Niko, if you turn me, I won't be able to remember anything about my life for at least 50 years," I pleaded with him. " Don't do this,"

" She will come back to who she is, who you remember over time,"

" No, Niko, I won't. He knows that if I am turned, there is a chance the magic will claim. My gift will make me ins-"

" Do many witches regain their sanity?" Nikolai demanded of his creator, Enzo Mariani. " Do I have your word that you would protect her from the Volturi? That she will be mine and no one else's?"

Enzo Mariani nodded.

Nikolai shifted to gaze down into my eyes. " I love you, Allison Bishop, to the stars and back…" His faint Russian accent weaseled its way past my fear, yet I heard more than love in that answer. Possession threatened to take over the pretty words and twist them into a hell that I would not want.

My eyes answered for me. Enzo moved forward and Nikolai backed away. For a moment I thought that I was dead. I blinked twice, and then the curtain shifted as a breeze pushed through the open window. Where Nikolai had sat in on the footstool that doubled as a chair in the small bedroom, a rounded depression of his ass remained. Tossing the cover aside, my racing heart threatened to quit as I took the steps two at a time, my foot catching on the third step from the bottom. As I went down, a pixie like female held me in suspended rapid descent that would've resulted in a painful landing at the base of the steps.

I gazed up into the eyes of Alice Cullen, then looked over her shoulder at the other female I never laid eyes on before and heard enough about from the neighbors, Mrs. Hilbert and Mrs. Allen. " Mrs. Mariani," Alice eased me up slowly from the diagonal suspension to my feet before letting me go. I latched onto the railing and held onto it, grateful for their timely intervention. A part of me wondered if it truly was timely intervention or the visit had been cut short on the will of the men. Either way, I thanked the stars I would see the sunrise as a mortal.

My relief must have shown as Mrs. Mariani bowed her head. " They are gone for now-"

" But they will come back. Nikolai will take me as his, one way or another," I summed up for her. " Please…excuse the lack of introduction, Mrs. Mariani. I've been busy with research at the local library, and I really neglected my time spent with the ladies who my grandmother called friends. I find visiting them at the assisted living homes rejuvenates tired spirits,"

Both females watched me as move to the vase with fresh flowers and proceeded to the kitchen to dump out the water and place the flowers in the sink. At the bottom of the vase a ring rolled out. An engagement ring I'd returned to Nikolai when I broke the engagement off now lay in my kitchen sink, a reminder and warning that his love really would see me insane for the next 50 plus years. Alice said nothing, while the other vampire watched me. " Esme said that you were a historian, Mrs. Mariani. That's a noble profession to have,"

Such politeness at this hour shouldn't even be occurring yet here I stood. At exactly 12:36 a.m, I talked to an Egyptian historian who shouldn't even be alive and a seer. Grandmother would have offered them tea.

" It is noble as long as the history is true,"

" As much as I'd like to talk this over, I have to get back to sleep. Deadlines to make, vampires to dodge, old shapeshifter friends to talk to. Maybe I should spend a few nights with them instead-" Dropping the flowers into a fresh vase full of water, I carried the vase back to the entrance. Tucking the ring on my left hand, I wondered if I did the right by wearing it. I never did get over Nikolai, and I wanted to forgive him, even if my heart couldn't. Maybe we could make it work, just not as immortals.

Maybe I was deluded.

A hand rested on my arm and I looked up to find myself looking into the eyes of a predator, a woman who probably killed more people than the entire police force of the US in all its years of existence. " There are those who do contain their gifts, and they are strong vampires, but they must work to control the energy that is no longer contained by the special genetics of a mortal witch. It is not impossible or painful, once mastered," Something else lingered unspoken, and while I wanted to play 50 questions with the woman, I didn't have the energy.

" Alice, Mrs. Mariani, I thank you for your support, but if they want to turn me, they will. It's late, I need sleep, and I have a window open upstairs. I'm going to rest and I'll speak to you another time," The clipped response should have been enough to show my gratitude, yet impulsively I reached out and hugged the Eygptian first. She cringed at the contact, while Alice buried herself in the gentle embrace.

On their way out, Sehkhet turned to Alice. " If your visions are correct, she will break the man that is known as Nikolai and Nikolai will break her. They deserve more than this half-demolished second chance to a new start," Alice just smiled, like she knew something else and wasn't sharing. Kheti walked the distance from the Bishop residence to her house, knowing that they did not chase away Enzo and Nikolai. The men left willingly, which meant they'd be coming back on their own schedule.


	5. Chapter 4

Charlie Swan instantly liked Sehkhet Mariani, not because she was breathtakingly gorgeous, but because she approached everything in a manner that was semi-detached. When they first spoke, she told him all about her parents and their struggles to establish themselves before asking him about his family. She talked for the better half of the hour while she was at the station. The purpose of her visit then had been to introduce herself to the neighbors and she hadn't made his acquaintance yet. The free time the woman had gave Charlie the idea that lead to him inviting her over for dinner the first night his teenaged daughter would be joining him in Forks. Someone needed family, even if that family wasn't blood.

Isabella settled in her room when Sehkhet knocked on the door. Charlie opened it to find her standing there dressed down in jeans, hiking boots, and a heavy coat that showed signs of the weather's all around wetness. Her hair piled on top her head in a braid held in place by several pins and a ribbon the woman somehow weaved through the thick mass of hair and tied neatly into a bow around the bun. He found himself staring so long that her laughter broke him out of the trance. " I had fun with my hair this evening," She addressed the source of his interest. A blush colored his cheeks. " I saw the cruiser returned…Is the elusive daughter finally here?"

Charlie stepped aside to welcome her into the home. She noted the lack of a feminine touch, otherwise deciding that Charlie needed to update the décor to match the current decade. For a man, he kept the place fairly clean and tidy. " I heard you and Miss Bishop have been spending some time together with the local librarian, Mrs. Wathers,"

" Oh, yes. I was simply giving her an oral history of the Egyptian lands as I discovered through my extensive research through the years…She is quite the student," Kheti didn't lie, she and Allison did talk about Ancient Egypt for nearly two hours, and Mrs. Wathers, finally happy to have interested readers, joined in on the conversation with little encouragement. All in all, Kheti liked Forks and the people that inhabited it. She saw why the Cullens settled there, aside from the weather that seemed tailor made for vampires.

" I knew her grandmother when I was a boy. She was like a second mother to me," He shared warmly. " Allison spent the summers with her, and we would often go to the beach to swim. One of my childhood friends still pines after her,"

" I'll be sure to warn her," Kheti teased, half wondering if Charlie retained half the childhood friends given his position as police chief of Forks. Positions of authority often alienated people in varying manners. " To be honest, I find Allison a refreshing change from the usual people. Most people don't care about history, not like they should,"

" If only we learned to not repeat our mistakes,"

" Ah yes, but repeated mistakes are not mistakes. They are choices we willingly make," Kheti pointed out lightly, finding herself missing the closeness she once had with Enzo. Enzo and her used to talk like this all the time, until he got it in his head to overthrow the Volturi. Since then she couldn't even hold his attention long enough to remind him that she was his wife and wanted his attentions, physical and emotional. " If life gave us a manual,"

At this Charlie laughed harshly. " If only," He agreed. " Bella!" He called up the stairs.

An ivory skinned teenage girl with long brown hair and a slender form appeared at the steps. " Yes, Cha-Dad?"

The pain of being addressed by his given name instead of the honorary title of Dad flickered across Charlie's face. Kheti only noticed because she lived longer than most nations. " I want you to meet the neighbors. This is Sehkhet Mariani, she just moved in down the street," Charlie pointed to the woman with burgundy eyes, a pale tan – if that was possible, and an otherwise awe inspiring figure.

" Please call me Kheti," She moved forward past Charlie as Bella almost tripped down the steps. Kheti reached out and held her steady on the bottom step, slightly irritated at the clumsiness of this girl. She didn't let that show as she offered her hand, a hand that Bella shook. " I've heard so much about you from your father. Never heard a prouder father," The blush that praise instigated soon turned ivory skin red until Charlie cleared his throat to save Bella from answering.

Charlie glanced toward the kitchen, where a premade meal rested in the oven ready to be reheated and set out to eat. " I hope you like fish," He smiled at Bella more than Kheti as he said this, now going into the kitchen. The girl moved faster than Kheti expected to head off her father, keeping her precarious balance to the benefit of everyone present.

Lingering back to watch Isabella Swan pull out the fried fish, tossed salad, and vegetable side of green beans and peas, Kheti noted the awkwardness between father and daughter. It pained her to see the pair so distant from one another, yet she couldn't say anything. Ten minutes passed quickly in semi-awkward silence as Bella asked Sehkhet about her name. " An Egyptian American with an Italian name," Kheti agreed humorously. " I agree that it is an odd combination, but I adore Enzo,"

Bella glanced toward Charlie, as if hoping he had something to contribute to the meager conversation.

" Enzo and I met while I was vacationing in Italy," She didn't lie. She'd been traveling at the time from place to place, and Italy happened to be the area that held her interest in 1614. Enzo, at that point, wanted to leave Italy, if only to escape the Volturi's close proximity. Her age long attracted the attention of the Volturi, and as a lone vampire, the Volturi didn't bother her. She volunteered to be a historian for vampire affairs and happened to drop off a report to the Volturi three days prior before meeting Enzo for the first time. " It was love at first sight,"

" First sight?" Bella echoed skeptically.

Kheti tried to not take offense to being considered foolish by someone so young. " Well yes, first sight. The moment his eyes met mine…it was like…the world stopped spinning, and we were paralyzed, mesmerized by each other. The courtship lasted longer than I would have liked, but when he offered his hand in marriage-"

" He's old fashioned," Bella said flatly.

Charlie frowned. " Bella…"

Kheti smiled. " I suppose he is old fashioned. I liked that about him though. Still do," She sat down at the table, finding herself watching Charlie more than Bella. She remembered Charlie's relationship with Renee had been fairly short, even by mortal standards. While Charlie didn't talk about Renee, the town shared information freely if one only knew what tongue to inspire. Forks was like that – and the schools were just as small, although compared to the education I received as a child, theirs was far superior. Having the option of something other than religion, slavery, or being someone's concubine or lover changed one's perspective on living. And marriage. She considered Charlie again. " You don't need to chide her for asking honest questions…I'm an open book,"

Charlie frowned, apparently dissatisfied that Kheti would allow it. " Still-"

" I understand. Might I call you Bella?" After deflecting Charlie, Kheti watched Bella nearly take off a finger tip while chopping up fresh tomatoes to add to the salad.

The girl simply readied the food.

Kheti turned back to Charlie now, as it was clear the teenage girl did not want to talk or socialize. " Aside from old fashioned husbands, I find Forks to be very…comfortable. I haven't had comfortable in a while,"

" I'm sorry to hear that," Charlie said genuinely, biting his lip like he wanted to say something.

Before Kheti could assure him that she was perfectly okay, Bella spoke up. The cold fury echoed in her eyes. " Where is your husband, Mrs. Mariani?" Sehkhet wasn't sure whether to be upset or happy that her full married name had been used.

" He's employed in Spain at the moment," Kheti lied effortlessly. " He's an intelligence network manager. A glorified social worker in a corporate position, more or less," Another half truth.

Enzo networked with people to an end he saw fit and then discarded the connections when they became too hazardous. Since he worked in the shadows, the discarding of former allies often took the form of them being bled dry and their bodies thoroughly destroyed and then the ashes disposed of. When she first met Enzo, his choice in professions did not bother her. Since he's stepped up his obsession with the Volturi, however, he lost himself in the darkness of being a vampire. It saddened her to see him devolve. This must have reflected in her eyes because both Swans softened visibly.

" Will he be visiting you or will you be visiting him?"

" Hopefully he'll be able to give up his job altogether that causes him to travel so that he can settle down with me again," She forced a smile, no longer able to humor even herself. " Have you thought of your future, Bella?"

Bella served up three plates of evenly portioned food. The idea of eating food that tasted like dirt never appealed to Kheti, but she blended in better than most vampires by making that sacrifice. Charlie waited on that answer too as he thanked Bella for finishing what he started and then serving the food. " I don't know what I want to do yet,"

" It doesn't hurt to explore your options while you have the chance to. There is so much you can possibly do that I envy your position. If I had such freedom as you do now when I was a young girl, I would have chosen a different path myself,"

" But you won the lottery,"

" Luck engineered that," She didn't expect to win the lottery, and the money from the winnings of the 300 million jackpot would be supporting her life in Forks. Her salary from the Volturi went to her massive savings secured in the Caymen Island and Swiss banks. " And money doesn't bring happiness. It provides comfort. You have to find happiness on your own terms,"

Charlie nodded, eating the meal that he prided himself on actually cooking well. " Your mother knows how to pursue what makes her happy. You should follow her example," Charlie finally suggested gently.

The teenaged girl wasn't having any of the badgering from her father or the neighbor. She shook her head. " Mom is with Phil, where she wants to be," She answered her father firmly. " I am happy for Mom. Isn't that good enough?"

Sensing she stepped too far into the unknown with her neighbors, Kheti focused on the food before her. She briefly considered asking if she could take it with her since the conversation started to go downhill and rejected that option before it was even a real thought. " Sacrificing your own happiness for someone else's is noble but it hardly does anything for you, and while I'm sure your father is happy that you're here, he also wants you to be happy that you're here…."

" I'm happy to be here," Bella started to argue.

Charlie frowned. A part of him hated that his daughter only spent a month each summer until she was fourteen, then forced him to spend two weeks in California with her for the following three years. He knew she hated the rain and the constant cloudiness, but this was as much her home as it was his. He decided to drop the issue altogether before Sehkhet up set all of them with her idealistic views. He forced down the food, suddenly displeased that he didn't fight Renee harder on custodial rights. " I am happy you're here, Bells. Mrs. Mariani volunteered to drive you to school and pick you up for the first two weeks until Billy has your truck fixed,"

" What truck?" Bella demanded, almost pouting like a spoiled child.

" The truck that Billy sold me," Charlie answered her with a small measure of cheerfulness. " I know it's not what your mother would like you to drive, but this is Forks and you'll be living here until you choose to go back,"

Bella glanced between her father and the Egyptian beauty who stared her down without flinching. " Thank you," Whether she thanked one of them or both, neither knew.

Seeing that she volunteered for babysitting an ungrateful teenager, Kheti finally bit into the food and wished she could taste the actual flavor instead of dirt. The lack of flavor went unnoticed as she engaged both Swans in talking about Forks and its history. Charlie had plenty to stay, while Bella remained silent, as if mourning her voluntary move.


	6. Chapter 5

When she looked up from her computer at the sound of a knock and smell of magical blood, Kheti reminded herself that there were other people far deserving to die by being fed upon. Magical blood lured her in like a shark to a seal, and when she opened the door, finding the rain drizzling down onto Allison Bishop huddled under her neon pink rain coat. Kheti repressed a snort as she moved to welcome the witch into her home. " I wanted to tell you that Nikolai showed up again last night. He came alone, but he kept talking about Enzo as if Enzo had a plan. If anything happens to me, all the paperwork is with the family lawyer, my mother, and a safe in the bank. I'm making you executor of my will," She crossed her arms and shrunk even further into the rain coat looking more and more like a drowned rat.

Today the witch looked like a frightened rat knowing it was cornered.

Kheti understood that fear. " You would always be family if you were turned, Allison," She always wanted a sister to look after, and fifty or so years to raise a vampiric witch from the haze hardly seemed a sacrifice. She glanced down at her wrist watch. " I have to drive Isabella Swan to school. Would you like to ride with me?"

" No-I need to get back to writing my rough draft. My agent keeps telling me that I'm not working fast enough even though its quality that matters, not quantity," The woman shrugged and then offered a small hand wave before retreating back to her home. Kheti wanted to rip her husband a new hole for terrorizing her neighbor and turning a love sick stalker into a vampire. Taking a deep breath, she snagged the keys from the hook by the door and walked down to her 2005 Ford Explorer. The brand new Blue monster offered a lot of options to her that other vehicles didn't offer, and best of all, she didn't need to make payments on it.

Driving from her driveway to the Swans took less than five minutes. Parking and knocking on the door, only to find Bella standing at the door adjusting her jacket like it was lined with poison ivy, Kheti almost regretted her choice to drive the teenage girl to school. As Bella locked up the house, Kheti waited in the running SUV. " Thank you for driving me to school," Bella said, as every bit uncomfortable as the older woman.

" It's my pleasure,"

" You really don't have to do this,"

" Well, it's either I drive you or you ride with your father to your school every morning and get picked up every afternoon," Kheti didn't need to live with Bella to know the humiliation that came with having a father that was a cop. She witnessed it enough with the people she befriended through the current centuries. The stigma attached to it ruined any hope of full acceptance for both the authority figure and the child of the authority figure.

They rode in silence until they pulled off the highway into what could have been mistaken for a small cluster of brick homes. The sign identifying it as Forks High School amused Kheti. In her time, when girls received their monthly menstruations, they were considered women. Bella already menstruated and she wasn't even called a woman yet, even if she did act like one. Everyone who probably attended menstruated and none of them would be taken seriously. To be fair though, women weren't always taken seriously, even if they were of advanced age.

" We're here," Kheti announced in the tomblike silence.

Bella just stared up at the buildings through all the greenery. Forks was the exact opposite of Egypt and Kheti loved it. It took her back to the wet and dry seasons of Egypt and how starkly different they were. " Are you interested in my father?" She asked bluntly.

" I'm married, Bella," Kheti flashed her ring again. " I don't need another man to keep me company when I have someone already to make my life difficult as is. That's the front office up there, I'm sure that Mrs. Cope will be able to help you out," Mrs. Wathers and Mrs. Cope apparently talked – a lot. In turn Mrs. Wathers talked a lot about how the high school students stacked against their parents and grandparents, often forgetting that she herself was a grandmother of a four year old grandson.

Relief crossed the girl's face as she exited the vehicle.

" I'll be here on time to pick you up," Kheti promised her faithfully. " Your father loves you, and he wants the best for you. You should remember that before you lay the guilt on him for not being around more,"

Bella closed the door with excessive force, the spurt of irritation fading away as she hunched over to weather out the rain and welcomed the dryness of the inside of the building. Bella loved both her parents too much to place the blame of their divided relationship on either party, yet the insinuation layered on a surge of anger at both Charlie and Renee for not making a better go of their marriage. Forks made her miserable, she couldn't even sleep last night because of the rain. Now she would attend a school that was roughly a tenth of the size of the school in Phoenix. It wasn't fair to her that she had to volunteer to live with Charlie just so her mother and Phil could live perfect lives.

The teenaged girl huffed as she entered the administrative building. Everyone would be watching her today too. The pair of eyes followed her to the doors and once the doors shut, Kheti returned back to her home to find herself immersed in report reading and report writing for the Volturi. She saw the tension keep the girl upright, and yet felt no pity for Bella Swan. A spoiled girl like that didn't know how good she had it.

Kheti genuinely believed that modern people lacked the respect for their easy lives. Even modern vampires lacked the proper appreciation. She stopped stroking her chin as she stared at the computer screen. She smelled him before she heard him.

A palm rested on the back of her neck, large and comfortable. " Hello, My Darling Heart," Enzo whispered, almost purring.

" I was wondering when you would find me," She responded in an equally soft voice, finding herself welcoming his touch, even if he did come to harm or threaten her.

Except Enzo removed his hand. " I spoke with Carlisle Cullen. Allison Bishop is under their protection and the shifters protect these lands…." He walked around the front of the desk to face her. She breathed deeply, finding herself lost in his presence. It'd been so long since they stood less than 6 feet away from each other that she almost forgot how much he affected her ability to focus and breathe. Good for her that breathing wasn't necessary for vampires.

" I could have told you-"

" You warned them of my presence," He hissed. This counted as yelling, although to humans the pair of vampires spoke no more than at a human whisper volume. " You told them of my plans, and you would rather pledge your allegiance to the Volturi than to me, your mate,"

" I had no choice, you left me with none,"

" Tell me why I shouldn't kill you where you sit,"

" I am significantly older than you, Enzo. I am also your wife-"

" My wife would support me!" He grabbed a picture frame of them on their wedding day fifty years ago and crushed it in his hands, the wood splintering and glass cracking. " She would not choose the-"

" I am choosing to survive, Enzo. We are apex predators with obvious flaws. If it weren't for the Volturi, how many civilizations would still stand? Child vampires almost exposed us, childish vampires who want to wage war on their enemies instead of looking to the future and what consequences those actions would bring- I am choosing the continued existence! I will not apologize for where I stand. I have lived too long to be brought down by being territorial or power hungry,"

" You are weak," He spit out like it meant something. " How can I trust you if you will not be part of my coven?"

Kheti pinched the bridge of her nose and shut her eyes. " Nikolai is too young, and he has no gifts. You want a witch that you can't even use for the next half century, and you think that my age will mean anything to a vampire with abilities? Aro, Caisus, and Markus are surrounded by some of the best gifts known to vampires. You won't be able to reach them. It is a suicide mission,"

" I thought I knew you-"

" I am not discussing this, Enzo. I have made myself quite clear on this already," Kheti stated coldly. Truthfully she wanted to cry. She hated arguing with her mate. The look of betrayal twisting his face, the hurt nursing the malice within his cold heart – all of it wounded her more than she let on. " Now if you wanted to have dinner, I am certainly free-"

He tossed the desk to the side effortlessly with one hand, the metal and wood structure flipping harmlessly across the floor. His hand gripped her by the throat as he lifted her out of the chair. " I should kill you now," Enzo stood perfectly still, unmoving as he held her in place.

Conflicted emotions ripped through the Egyptian like a tropical storm. It'd been so long since he even touched her. So long since they spoke as husband and wife. So long since they even acknowledged one another. " Then do so already," She winced as his fingers tightened around her throat.

Enzo was a mountain of a man. Naturally bulky from his physical past before he was made, his long brown hair hung around his face in loose curls framing a face sculpted by the angels themselves. A rugged square jaw, piercing eyes, and an almost regal air about the man summed him up. As handsome as he was, he was just as lethal. " Why should I kill you when I can make you watch my plans come to fruition?" His lips rested against her cheek, trailing along her jaw line all the way to her lips. They both breathed differently now, the scent of arousal clear to both.

His hand never left her throat as he lifted her off the ground by throat and waist, securing her to his form as he carried her to the back bedroom used as a storage area until she found a better use for it. Kheti didn't fight him as he tossed her onto the bed, quickly pinning her in place as a knee eased her thighs apart. They gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed like an eternity. Words couldn't describe the depth of their love or hatred for each other. The demanding kiss Enzo laid on Kheti smothered any possible response from the woman.

Torn clothes tossed into the air, Enzo taking his time properly disrobing instead of allowing her to touch him so freely. Husband and wife joined as one in the bed, putting aside their differences for the blessed next two hours. Afterwards, Enzo trailed one large hand along his wife's toned body, pausing just beneath her shapely breasts. Kheti enjoyed the touch, watching his face intently. " I've missed you,"

" And I you," He replied softly, resting his hand on her hip. " Is there no way I could convince you to join my cause?"

" Their laws have allowed us to survive as long as we have," Kheti answered him gently. " Children are not meant to be made so young. Trusting mortals with the knowledge of our existence is folly, and if the dangerous and foolish are not kept in check, we will be extinct before the mortals. I want to be at your side, but what you seek, what you want, it is impossible to give. You have no clear plan that would properly protect and guide our future. I am sorry, Enzo, but until you have a proper replacement for government, I can not join with your cause,"

A sad smile crossed his lips as he sighed deeply. " I thought as much,"

" Then why did you confront me on this?" She sat upright in the bed, studying him.

He laughed. " Do you know how long it has been since we've bedded each other?"

" Too long,"

" And how long it has been since we argued?"

" I don't like arguing with you," She relaxed thoroughly as she understood why he confronted her. " You know that,"

He closed the space between them again, pulling her onto his lap. His forehead rested against hers. " I love you, Sehkhet Mariani. My political and personal views will never change that," His fingers eased into her loose hair, massaging her scalp. " Will you promise me one thing?"

" You know I don't make promises I can't keep," Her breath caught as his lips teased hers.

" If the time comes where the Volturi have cornered me and intend to kill me, I would prefer it was you that ended me,"

Her eyes held his without blinking. " You ask a lot,"

Enzo kissed her again. " My heart should be the one that takes my final breath, for that breath would be for her," Kheti wrapped her arms around him, unable to speak and unwilling to make the promise he sought. Knowing this, Enzo held onto her, only letting her go when a knocking at the door a half hour later disturbed them.


	7. Chapter 6

The back of Nikolai's head greeted me as I entered the living room. " I thought you were going to give me more space," Irritation spiked my casual tone as I dropped a stack of magazines – Home & Design, Elle Décor, DIY Home and Garden – onto the wood framed glass coffee table. It replaced the beat up cheap coffee table Gram had for years. More additions to the house started to appear gradually as the funds became available to update the older, less abled furniture. The Italian vase Enzo sent as a reconciliation gift currently resided in the vestibule. I only kept it because of how beautiful the porcelain masterpiece was. For a brief moment – until he opened his mouth – I envied the adoration he lathered on Kheti.

I already planned on renovating the kitchen and replacing the knob and tube wiring in the house. All I needed now was to hire a contractor to undertake the job. " I'm going to talk to Enzo about where we're going to live when you're made," He answered me with a big grin, as if I should be equally thrilled.

It'd only been a few days since I've come to grips with the fact that I was going to be made whether I wanted to be or not. Everyone around me opened their arms telling me that my future would be beautiful. Even the reluctant Sehkhet Mariani embraced me as a sister to look after. As much as I liked the woman I also understood she had a very warped sense of reality based on how long she lived. Having a sister to nurture probably provided her a distraction from the long life she lived.

Guiding me, shaping me. Kheti promise me hope and Nikolai promised me love.

His eyes " Somewhere secluded. Somewhere we could both be left in peace,"

" You forget I'll be some crazed blood thirsty hound," I answered the wistful longing with dark reality. I dropped down into a chair by the fireplace and opened a Home and Garden magazine. " We wouldn't have peace for decades,"

He leaned forward, a beautiful Russian sculpture of a healthy young man. His eyes, a shade of gray with a hint of blue, beckoned me in again. " I love you,"

How many times did he have to say it? " If you didn't care for me, you wouldn't be standing there," I didn't even look up from the magazine.

" Sitting," His Russian accent reappeared as his eyes rested on me possessively.

" Same difference," I flipped the magazine page and admired a full fledged garden. With all the rain, I should be able to grow a similar garden. Yet, I couldn't even make an indoor garden grow. " I don't want changed, Niko. I love who I am,"

His hands turned a cell phone over in his hand. " Enzo says that we're going to do great things. Accomplish greatness," He looked up. " He seemed more interested in you than me," Placing the cell phone on the table, he looked past me.

I lifted my gaze off the current page detailing how to care for hedges. His jealousy, while flattering, did nothing for keeping me alive and sane. I didn't even fully understand why it had to be me. There were other practitioners in existence. Enzo lived long enough to cross their paths and he'd likely live longer. " I already do great things – as a mortal," The idea of living past 100 mortified me. What would I even do with an additional 50 years of clarity? There was only so much I could write before I tired of the genre of high fantasy.

Learn another language? Study history? Shape history? Dodge the ever growing ability of identification technology? No. I much preferred a mortal lifespan. It made life much more appreciable.

The doorbell relieved us of the petty argument. Bella Swan stood awkwardly at the doorway, every bit as anti-social as I was determined to be at the moment. " My father wanted me to invite you to dinner. We're having steak and potatoes,"

" Bella does the cooking in the Swan house," I explained to Nikolai calmly. The chief, bless his heart, somehow survived on fish, beer, and tv dinners. Having Bella cook for him turned into a godsend for the man's unbalanced diet. It was odd that she knew how to cook, as if she were an older person in a young person's body. Having grown up with nurturing, independent mother figures who doted on me, I could see where learned it from. " We will be over shortly,"

" I'll be sure to let him know," The girl bowed her head and hurried back to her house down the street. As soon as the door closed, I stared at a curiously offended Nikolai.

When he said nothing, I walked upstairs to ready for the impromptu meal. A hand on my waist pulled me back into the man as we were poised at the top of the steps. He could turn and throw me down the steps if he wished. I trusted that he wouldn't do that. I hoped that he merely wanted to say something sweet. " Would you marry me if I were to propose here and now?" His lips sought my neck to tease, and my pulse they did find.

No, no, no. " Would you support a century long engagement?"

" A decade,"

His hands moved to places they shouldn't. " A decade with an insane woman who will barely be able to restrain herself will not make for a nice wedding, especially since the wedding would turn to slaughter," I reminded him, wrapping my hands around his to keep him from moving his hands. In full reality, he could have shifted me into a pretzel and I wouldn't have been able to fight it.

" 50 years then,"

" 5 decades is a rough estimate," Kheti said that 50 years was the shortest time span that she personally knew of. Others took up decades more to gain control of themselves, and if she were being completely honest, it would always be a struggle for me to keep control of my primal urges. " 100 years as vampires, and I will marry you,"

" 6,"

" 10,"

" 8,"

" 10,"

" 9,"

" 10, now I need to make myself more presentable," I tried to move his hands off of my waist, but there they stayed. His mouth stayed pressed against my neck. Fangs threatened to prick flesh, and then he pulled back, nudging me forward so I didn't fall back into the empty space. A quick line of black eyeliner and green eyeliner, I applied a peach tinted lip gloss and then hurried along to the small closet in my bedroom. The disadvantage of older houses were the smaller closets, and gram's house had been no exception. I half expected him to appear at my side again, but he waited patiently downstairs to my great surprise.

The ratty pair of jeans I wore around the house wouldn't do for dining at someone else's house regardless of how casual the meal was. I picked out my best dark blue jeans and selected a red blouse. Nikolai met me at the bottom of the steps as I reached for my coat, slipped my shoes on, and grabbed the house keys and small metallic flashlight I carried with me. I had a small can of mace and a fancy little pocket knife that I kept on me, but the flashlight usually saved the day. " Don't forget your cell phone," Nikolai tucked the handy device into my inner coat pocket.

The short walk opened a channel of silence that our already awkward relationship did not need. The door opened before we could even knock. Charlie welcomed us into the house. " Bella is upstairs. Please make yourself comfortable," He removed his service weapon and badge. It appeared he'd only just gotten in himself.

" Thank you for the invitation, Mr. Swan," Nikolai said before I could even greet the chief of police. He placed his hand in mine, fingers wrapped firmly yet gently so that I couldn't pull away. I pasted a fake smile on my face, hoping that Charlie did not challenge it. " I was just telling Allison that she is fortunate in having such friendly neighbors. People who look after each other,"

" We are a close knit community. We are truly blessed to have the capable mind of Dr. Cullen working with us. A mind like his could be earning him ten times what he makes at the hospital," He almost sounded like he was defending the man instead of stating a fact. Allison already knew that the shapeshifters refused to entertain any peaceful intercourse with the Cullens and did not bother trying to bridge the supernatural gap. Nikolai had been warned to not feed traditionally while in Forks. " We haven't been introduced yet,"

" Oh, this is Nikolai. He's my…fiancé. We're entertaining an extended engagement right now," I said before Nikolai could embarrass himself. So far I hadn't lied. I intended to keep it that way. " He's staying with a room mate north of here while I get settled into gram's house and make it my own. We're thinking of buying a house of our own one day,"

Back before he hit me for being a practicing witch, we started to look at houses in the range of 250,000 to 300,000. I was going to be the main contributor, and we were going to have a big wedding that we wanted to save up for. I gave up on the idea of escaping him and a part of me loved the Russian bastard still.

" So when are you moving in with Miss Bishop?" Charlie turned his attentions onto Nikolai while my nose followed the scent of steak and potatoes. I thought I heard the tapping of keys on a keyboard from upstairs. The internet was an amazing thing to behold, and the youth were becoming trapped in it. Everyone was. I arched a brow in question at his line of questioning.

As I watched the two men go back and forth with questions and answers, I envied the protectiveness Charlie displayed. Bella cooking intrigued me more than I cared to admit. " Bella, when did you start cooking?"

" I always cooked for Mom. And my Dad doesn't have much of a palette besides fish," She laughed. It didn't extend to her eyes as she prepared a salad and then set the table. " She's with Phil at training,"

" You miss her," I already missed my grandmother and mother. " Mothers are special,"

Her eyes went to Charlie and Nikolai watching tv. " Yes, they are,"

" It's okay to be away from them. It means you're growing up, becoming an adult," I made myself comfortable, studying the girl. Her anti-social behavior stemmed from an awkwardness that was not uncommon for her age. I had been an introvert trapped in my mind during high school and the bullying had been merciless. When I graduated high school and moved on with my life, I thought I put all that behind me. Seeing Bella now reminded me how glad I was that I didn't have to repeat the experience.

She rolled her eyes. " I got that speech from Mrs. Mariani when she picked me up from school,"

" She is quite the historian," I smiled. The woman always made life interesting, whether she knew it or not. I found myself slowly coming around to the idea of calling her sister, even if It meant no longer being human. " You should listen to her, but remember to have your own voice,"

Bella just went silent, permitting the adults to casually discuss Forks and the Cullens.


	8. Chapter 7

The car accident headlined the paper for all the wrong reasons, yet Enzo thought it hilarious that of all the potential victims Isabella Swan inherited the damsel in distress calling card. He pitied Charlie Swan for fathering a child who is a danger unto herself. " I pity the fool who loves that comedic failure," Enzo commented to Kheti over a meal of blood in her rented home.

A soft classical score played in the background creating a cozy evening setting for two living fossils.

Kheti tapped at keys, typing up a report for the Volturi. The political storm clouds created a dangerous atmosphere for all vampires. President Barack Obama is the first African American US president in a country that never gave up the idea anyone of non-caucasian skin is inferior to caucasians. Around the world, politics threatened vampires. The United States politics currently mattered to Kheti because she called United States home for the time being.

" You call her a comedic failure," Enzo studied the back of Kheti's thick hair draping voluminously down her back. He loved her hair almost as much as he loved her accent whenever she transformed into a purely reactive explosive bomb of raw emotions. " I call her bait. She's a fool who thinks her mother's happiness is the only important thing in the world. Not a thought to her father. Not a thought about her own happiness. She's bait for the ignorant preying on the defenseless people of forks. And no, I'm not talking about the Cullens,"

He leaned forward. " Victoria, James, and Laurent? Novices. They will meet their doom soon. They're too bold,"

She laughed. Too bold? No such thing for vampires. " Unlike you? Look into a mirror and you'll find you're not dissimilar to them. You are reckless, idiotic, and thoughtless. Couldn't care if I worry about you," She sipped her glass of wine to avoid giving him the middle finger, one of her few favorite american expressions.

His mouth pressed to her ear. " You woo me with charming words and forget that I adore you - even your bluntness. No other woman can handle me. You are my precious Sehkhet. The Jewel of the Nile. Egypt's greatest treasure," She softened against the relentless complete and total adoration lathered on. " I do my best to protect you. To provide for us,"

Enzo hovered over her, leaning in to tease her ear with his silky voice. " My robed rogue of italian tastes and absolute loyalty, you realize that I work for the Volturi, yes? I have no need of additional income," She remained still not wishing to disturb this awkward peace that settled over their relationship despite their conflicting external goals. It felt like the end haunted her, and she refused to acknowledge it. They survived for hundreds of years as a couple. Surely they'd survive this small speedbump of a problem too.

He rest his chin on her head and wrapped his arms around her shoulders and chest. " They are poison,"

She rolled her eyes. " Why do you think I avoid Corin? Why I abhor the twins? Why I never associate with Heidi? If I quit they'd track me down with their 'tracker'. I hate Aro. I hate Marcus. I hate Caius. But - and I say this with caution - they handled a severe werewolf problem. They handled the problem of child vampires - and before you say their names, yes I agree with you,"

He kissed the top of her head. " Jewel of the Nile,"

" My Italian Stallion," She mumbled appreciatively. " Now off with you. I have work to do,"

He glared at the computer screen petulantly. She smiled at his childishness and returned to the serious report that she preferred to submit before confronting Charlie about Bella's mother's secret addiction and Bella's secret loathing of living with her father. Sadly Kheti suspected Charlie wouldn't listen or believe her. She prayed he listened before kicking her out of the house.

She paused in the last paragraph torn between protecting the Cullens and protecting her husband. If she informed the Volturi that Edward Cullen took an interest in Isabella Swan, the Volturi would abduct the girl to force Edward into their coven. If she informed the Volturi about Enzo she'd sign her husband's death warrant. If she left out information Aro would know. Her advanced age permitted resistance against his mind probing, but fully shielding her mind ended in failure on multiple occasions.

Saving the document, she decided to leave the hard choice for a different day. " I'm going for a walk," She told her husband before dressing for the weather. The cold never bothered her because of the vampirism. She became adept at blending in, therefore dressing to fit the weather is a natural choice for her.

Enzo waited until she left before accessing her report. He read from start to finish a detailed report on the Cullens. At the end, he discovered the chapter that bothered his wife. He added intel to the report, aiding his wife in the decision. Emailing it to the Volturi, he exited out of everything and returned to his game of chess.

Strolling along the road, Kheti stuffed her hands in her pockets and kept her head down. She referenced her past in relation to now, mentally building a bridge to how she changed through the years. As a naive newly blooded vampire in 1211 b.c. She trusted her mentor completely. He never betrayed her and when he joined a coven that changed toddler, she resigned herself to leading a new lonely life. Mortals filled that gap for a spell and eventually she met Enzo and her entire life changed. At first she adopted the changes without complaint and the line shifted gradually of what is acceptable morally. The stubborn egyptian held her ground when he crossed into a world of outright crime. All her life she lived on honorable profession and she never sacrificed her morals.

With Enzo attempting to form a coven, she expected him to expect her to become a co-leader with him. While she wanted to accept his offer, her ties to the Volturi complicated their marriage often. It'd also complicate a newly founded coven. Enzo had to know this which meant he formulated a plan to uproot the Volturi soon. Nikolai held no power and is too young to count on. Allison is a witch, therefore instant liability. What hid up his sleeve?

She stopped, eyes zooming in toward the forest. The smell zoomed away from her at a speed indicative of someone wanting to avoid her. Her heart sunk. If they were drifting this close to the people's homes...just how safe were the people of forks?

Her fingers hesitated on the Nokia 1110. If she called Charlie and informed him the killers of the local male patrolled the woods close to his home, he'd scoff at her and call her paranoid before offering some sort of protection to appease her uneasiness. It didn't matter that she is uneasy about their close proximity to the good people of Forks, assuming they weren't complete assholes. It mattered that she tried to do right by the people and to protect vampires as a whole. Pocketing the technological hunk of debris, because a mere hand twitch will destroy it, she let out a deep breath.

No. No you do not pursue trouble unless you can actually back your skills.

She just wasn't in the mood to kill or threaten people at the moment.

Walking back to her house in the starlight, she contemplated the odds of facing down the trio encroaching on the Quileute lands.

No. She didn't want to negotiate treaties or alliances, temporary or long term, just so she could deal with a threat.

Not tonight.

Headlights landed on her and passed slowly, a car crawling to a stop with a screeching of the brakes. She turned to see a young man grinning at her. " Hello, Beautiful,"

She flashed her left hand at him to indicate she's married.

" You doing anything tonight?"

She wiggled her fingers to make it more obvious.

" You speak English?"

Kheti laughed and chewed her lip. To be or not to be?

" You fucking whore-"

Oh no. No she was not dealing with his bullshit.

Her hand wrapped around his neck and yanked him out of the car forcefully, crushing his throat and dragging his body from the driver seat with the car still idling. Enzo materialized next to her, a fanged grin on his face. Kheti released the dead body in disgust and considered the innocent car. " I have to remove the evidence," She whispered regretfully placing a kiss to his cheek and entering the car to clean up her own mess.

The dead catcaller and starving Enzo disappeared into Forks landscape, the body not to be found. Kheti disposed of the car discreetly in a junkyard, turning it into a cube indistinguishable from the other junk after wiping off the biological evidence and disposing of her clothing from that entire trip. She returned to Forks in the cover of night and emerged the next day complaining about how she was bedridden for a few days because of a severe back ache from nowhere. The elderly neighbors sympathized with her, and Charlie suspected nothing illegal happened under his nose.

Enzo left her a treat for taking care of his territorial claim to her in the form of a green backless evening dress with thigh high slits. He matched her outfit with a fitted Armani suit. Charlie intercepted them before Enzo closed the driver side door of Kheti's vehicle. " Someone is dressed for an evening," He smiled genuinely at them.

Kheti tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, an golden ankh earring dangling from the earlobe. " When we rarely see each other, moments like these are more special," Enzo rested his left hand on the roof of the vehicle and patiently waiting for Charlie to walk away. His pleasant, open expression assured Charlie the opposite of his desire. " How can we help you, Mr. Swan?"

" I was speaking to Isabella-"

" She prefers Bella,"

" I was speaking with Bells, and she mentioned that you were at the school today,"

" I had to drop off a gift for Mrs. Thomas. She's celebrating her birthday today and her husband forgot about it," She explained patiently. " Is Bella well?"

Charlie stroked his chin in irritation. " She's in good health, and she's not moping as often," Enzo cocked a brow at this exchange. " Has she talked to you about any boys?"

" Not directly. I assumed she still suffered under the illusion that Forks is looking at her like a shiny new toy before they become bored of her. In reality they will never bore of her. You are her father and she is the celebrity's daughter," Kheti crossed her legs, exposing hairy calves. Enzo preferred her au naturale and she saved money on razors. It's a win-win. " In all seriousness Charlie, I wouldn't worry too much about her. The only boy who may be interested in her is Edward and he is the son of Dr. Cullen. I'm certain that Dr. Cullen taught him proper manners,"

Self restraint maintained Enzo's silence but not his amusement at Charlie's embarrassment. " She never mentioned the Cullen boy,"

" Girls usually don't. I never once mentioned any of my crushes to my father because I always expected him to react poorly to it. My mother is traditional too. She'd punish me even more than my father, and her creativity is never to be underestimated," Kheti spoke the complete truth as she remembered her birth parents. They weren't horrid people - typical egyptians for the day and age, butas a young woman, she feared their authority over her. She feared most everything in her early years. " But I have my dashing husband now to keep me warm at night. Isn't that correct, Enzo?"

The couple's eyes met and for a moment the world stopped, fireworks exploded, and in the next breath it popped back into action without break.

Charlie cleared his throat. " I don't want to keep you from your evening," He backed away from the handsomely dressed pair and wished them a pleasant evening. Enzo asked his wife about the teenaged girl she took under wing. Kheti shared the plethora of information that she learned through extensive snooping that money sponsored. " People should file restraining orders against your curiosity," He teased her as he drove with one hand and keeping to the exact legal speed.

Leaning back in the passenger seat, Kheti stared ahead through the windshield and its dark scenery that appeared clear as day to her. " She admitted as much to me that she hates Forks, and if the red eyes aren't a sign of crying, I don't know what is a sign of crying. You can not fault me for being observant. Nor can you fault me for her blatantly saying that her mother is a hopeless child in an adult's body and that Phil is just a paycheck to maintain her sunny lifestyle. She whispered that comment getting out of the vehicle and didn't think I'd hear it," She reached out and held his hand over the glovebox.

He casually leaned over and kissed her. " You are precious, and annoying intuitive,"

Her fingertips moved along his jawline in reverence. " I'm old as dirt. Intuition grows over time with experience," She pulled away slowly, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage. He returned to responsible driving expecting a full evening of physical attention. " Besides….you made me this way. You aren't allowed to ignore the impact you have on my current observation skills,"

Their eyes met again and this time, they jointly walked down memory lane of all the good times.


	9. Chapter 8

No.

Yes.

No.

I hurled the notebook into the kitchen and clenched my hands into fists.

One month. Just one month.

Enzo expected me to wrap up my old life into one month. House included.

Then! On HIS schedule he'd turn me into a bloody, crazed vampire who he'd then pawn off onto Kheti.

Me. A crazed vampire in a modern world. I'm not even allowed to continue writing my books after I come to the right mind again. Nikolai supported Enzo 100%. I had no one to support me when I needed it most.

A knock cut off my family. Lo and behold it is none other than the drama queen of pregnant teenagers with the cliched ultra religious grandmother and abusive boyfriend. Admittedly she probably suffered as much as me as she is also unwed and a high school drop out. Pile on the cliches and tragic backstory. Hell I always call her a Mary Stu. She makes Isabella Swan appear capable almost.

Wait - that is unfair. Bella cooked, cleaned, drove a stick shift...Bella is an updated housewife from the past. I rescind my redemption of her as someone to be admired. She's just a doormat for everyone in her life because she was taught no different - babysitting her mother, sacrificing her happiness just so her mother could be happy, living with a father who she barely knew in a place she hated. I may have argued she was a victim if this was forced on her by someone else, but no. She forced it on herself, therefore she was the stupid one and deserved all the pain and unhappiness that came with it.

" Have you seen or heard from my boyfriend? He's missing since Friday,"

I tried to feel sorry for her. Having met her boyfriend once, I'm glad he's missing. A pig like him didn't deserve to breathe - the cheating liar prick made sexual advances toward me and then called me a bitch when I turned him down. Nikolai almost snatched him until I told Nikolai it wasn't worth the effort. " Define missing," I don't think Nikolai killed him, because I warned him about the Quileute pack that defending Forks. That didn't mean that Enzo wasn't responsible.

She wrung her small hands. " He's not answering his phone, his car isn't at his house, and he hasn't showed up for church. Please, if you know anything or hear anything-"

My hand touched her shoulder. " I know you're pregnant. And you live with a staunchly religious grandmother, but men do pick up and leave their significant other all the time. He's young still and so are you. He likely left because he's afraid of losing his freedom and it has nothing to do with you,"

Cecily Baxter pulled away quickly. " He did not leave me. He is not like that,"

Her naivety and youthful obsession disappointed me. She now became a statistic. Her baby will like also grow up in poverty as well because she is a single mother in a world that hates single mothers. Fact - single parents are typically poor and have a lesser earning potential than similar individuals in a marriage or unified living arrangement. Fact - poor children often attend poor districts because poor parents are unable to afford the property taxes in higher rated school districts. Fact - Crime is higher in poorer areas because of many factors, and society generally associates crime with poverty, but in fact, the more horrendous crimes that damage society are inflicted by the more wealthy. Fact - those who don't know better will never strive for better, and because C. Baxter is an ignorant teenager with a baby on the way, she knows nothing about the real world and will continue to think the world hates her needlessly when in fact she's only half right. The real world does hate her needlessly, but she will contribute to her own miserable existence if she doesn't try to escape her grandmother, find a job, and earn a driver's license. She will always be abused if she keeps picking abusive life partners.

" I'm not the one accused of witchcraft. It's not my family that an embarrassment to Forks. Yours is," The teen stomped off leaving me in stunned silence.

Shutting the door slowly, I decided to call a friend who lived in Colorado for support and advice. The landline connected me to another minor set of problems I could help with. My friend, a witch, asked for my grandmother's Book of Shadows to reference against her mother's. I gift wrapped the precious book for her and mailed it out the next day.

Packing up Gram's witching supplies and accessories in a trunk, I then hauled the trunk to a storage unit and plotted the next point of action. Yes, I am a real witch, but I never truly practiced the craft. Wasted potential, blah blah. I know, but between writing books and living life and plotting itenaries, practicing the craft is tough to fit into the schedule. Therefore I held no need for the objects since I'd be dead in a month. My friend inherited a Book of Shadows I felt she'd put to good use. Everyone won out in the end.

Nikolai intercepted me at the gas station holding a set of silver keys.

" To our new home," He answered the dead silence cheerfully. " " It's finally completed,"

Holding the keys in my hand, I looked them over skeptically. They swayed in mid air. " Furniture included?"

" Interior completed. Exterior wall completed. Funds settled. Everything is ready for our new life together," He leaned in for a kiss and I leaned out. " You are not pleased. What have I done wrong?"

For once I'm not angry at him. He acted lie the man I once knew, not the vampire.

My hand cupped his cheek instead. " Absolutely nothing. I forgive you for everything I perceived as wrong or insulting. Just don't hit me again or I will kill you," His baffled expression passed as quickly as I removed my hand and put the keys in my back pocket.

We turned to look at the peeping old lady and waved with eery cheerful smiles. Nikolai snuck a kiss before escaping to his rental vehicle and fleeing my mild wrath. No matter, I'd yell at him later. Besides I had a dinner invitation to dine with the Swans. Charlie wanted me to attend a dinner with himself, Bella, and Billy Black. I agreed because I knew I can introduce Billy to the new threats in Forks.

This particular evening promised a possible escape from death. Billy Black already sat in the living room in a wheelchair when I arrived. Charlie invited us to be comfortable while he helped Bella with the food in the kitchen. I sat next to Billy, comfortable in my knowledge of his gift and of my own dark future. " It's nice to meet someone other than the Marianis. Don't get me wrong, Mrs. Mariani is a sweetheart but her husband is...less than tolerable most of the time. It's nice to have different company, Mr. Black,"

He glanced down at his beer. " Billy, Please,"

I smiled lightly, actually relaxed. " She's a wise old soul,"

" Sincerely?"

I nodded, running my fingers along the couch material in general disinterest. " I find her a pleasant person given her age. She's not what you'd expect for her sort of person. More...human. Her husband on the other hand is more distanced," I answered carefully.

Charlie walked into the room with a beer and settled across from Billy. " He doesn't talk much. Prefers his wife occupy the conversation most of the time," He kicked up his feet on a foot stool and shut down my wonderful plan to save Forks and possibly myself. " A protector of Bella when I can't be there,"

" Mr. Mariani?"

" Mrs. Mariani," Charlie corrected me. " She tried to warn me about Edward Cullen dating Bella,"

Billy's lips pressed into a thin line.

I ignored my hunger in favor of the current adult company. Charlie isn't a verbose person. Amiable yes, but conversation usually landed between bits of interesting information and avoiding awkward pauses.

" Your son is growing, isn't he, Billy? I think I saw him while on the Reservation the other day. A striking image of you," I said while Charlie sipped down his beer. " Rumor has he inherited the family genetics. I wish him luck with it,"

" He'll be a lady's man for certain," Charlie quipped lightheartedly.

Billy pat my arm in appreciation. " You keep the Marianis company often?"

I wished we had a game to watch on television. " Often enough. My fiance and I, Nikolai, are acquainted with them. Nikolai works for Mr. Mariani, new hire. I inherited Gram's house in Forks. But I'm moving out at the end of the month. Turns out Nikolai found a house in Alaska that is perfect for us. To be honest, I think the isolation will be good for us. It'll give us the chance to build our lives the way we want to, without encroaching on the expectations of current society," I shrugged, praying he read between the lines.

Charlie stopped drinking. " So soon?"

" Unavoidable. Mr. Mariani's business is mobile and Nikolai and I are going to try and patch up our differences," I glanced over at Billy again and then cleared my throat. " We only split up because of an argument and he left the US for Russia. Turns out he lost his passport while there, and then I changed my number so he couldn't track me down to apologize. Stupid obstacles, I know,"

Neither man argued with the lie, and I soon smelled a wonderful intermixed scent of well cooked fish, some kind of salad, and glimpsed a desert that Bella briefly put out on the table. Tonight we were eating good, that was for certain. Better enjoy the taste of food while I can.

Billy offered to let Charlie go to the kitchen first to help Bella. I volunteered to make Billy more comfortable for the plates Bella would help bring into the living room. As I adjusted his chair for him, he gripped my hand. " Are you in danger?"

I smiled weakly at him. " Always, but not from Nikolai or Mrs. Mariani. There are three others in the area too. Already killed," I whispered quickly before catching my breath and handing him a food tray that he used whenever he visited Charlie. " James, Victoria, Laurent."

He nodded and thanked me loudly for my help before remarking on my blouse. I remarked on his jacket, and we waited for Charlie and Bella in comfortable, cooperative silence.

Bella and I talked about my books while Billy and Charlie bantered about sports and fishing. Fishing and sports were a foreign subject to me even though I learned all about fishing tips and fishing equipment for use in my books. The passion the men held for the activity simply overwhelmed someone like me - who thought that fishing is boring and useless. Bella's flat questions glanced off my own anxious behavior, anxious behavior that impacted Billy enough that he insisted on seeing me back to my house. I welcomed his company.

As we traveled the short distance, Billy finally asked me if I was willing to be made.

" Unless you can kill Enzo Mariani, Billy, you can't stop it. Neither can I. At the moment I don't have the will to purchase a weapon and take my life. Even if I succeeded in securing one, Nikolai is too observant and Mrs. Mariani won't let me die because of her husband. I'd be changed for one reason or best you can do is stop the three before they kill more people,"

" And what of you?" Billy insisted stubbornly. " You have gifts too. You can use those gifts, become what your ancestors were, what your grandmother was,"

I grimaced. " I'm not that skilled or knowledgible. Even if I were, witchcraft is dulled against the special people. It's a sad but true fact," I stopped at my front door. Someone probably watched us from the foilage or Nikolai waited for me inside the house despite me telling him to respect boundaries. " Goodnight, Mr. Black. I truly wish your son the best of luck in his lifetime,"

Before I stepped fully inside the house, Billy called out one last time. " You still have time,"

Time. Now that was funny. The only time I had was to create problems for Enzo once I became a vampire. To make life easier for my mother. To leave my book series in good hands. That's what I had time for, not fighting an impossible and inevitable death. I stood against the back of the front door and soon found myself staring into the silent and patient Kheti sitting on the steps like a statue.

Then she blinked. " It won't work."

" I know," I whispered, knowing exactly what she referred to.


	10. Chapter 9

Enzo carried out the prepatory work for turning Allison while Nikolai focused on the small tasks. Kheti refused to work with his plan, preferring to continue her observations of the Cullens and the killers. Unknown to Enzo, Billy Black sent Jacob to visit with Bella and give Kheti an invitation to a location close to La Push. Kheti accepted the suspicious invitation and discovered Billy Black with company casually congregated together.

" If I didn't know better I'd call this an ambush," she remarked darkly. Keeping her distance, Kheti calculated the escape routes and odds of slipping through the men's grasp. " Is it?"

Allison's description of Kheti threw off Billy's initial desire to see her as a monster. Her astounding exotic beauty temporarily forced down his guard. " The one that is known as wise and old,"

" I am old, but wisdom extends only so far. What do you require?" She leaned against the front of her vehicle.

Billy wheeled forward. " Enzo Mariani,"

" He's a bastard, but he's my bastard," She crossed her arms and eyed up the native behind Billy. " What do you want with him?"

" Your bastard is breaking our laws in Forks," Billy answered her collectively. " If he takes a human life in the protected lands, we will kill him,"

She nodded and knelt down to Billy's level. " I will say this once. Enzo listens to Enzo. Not you. Not I. Not the Volturi. The Volturi are traveling here to kill him after he sent a report detailing his plans to destroy them. I don't want him to die, but he is who he is. I love him but he's a difficult man. Head set on his will. If you kill him, I will not fault you,"

The chief's jaw unclenched. " You will not interfere,"

" No. I can not kill the man I love, but I know what he's become. I will not interfere," She promised him. Kheti hated herself for sacrificing her marriage, but too many died at Enzo's hands. Too many will suffer if he destroys the Volturi. For her heart breaks and the world breathes. " You have until the end of the month. If you're truly enterprising, you may even kill those of the Volturi,"

Billy suspected she desired more than a fool's death. Billy suspected her conscience stopped her from fully crossing the line. He respected that. " If you interfere you will be killed too,"

She never blinked. " I was made in 1211 b.c. You'll have to try harder to frighten me,"

" Your age does not prevent me from protecting tribal lands,"

" I'm glad we agreed something will be done," She stood up straight and stepped towards her car. A growl nipped at her back. Kheti never looked over her shoulder and never witnessed Billy motioning for the shifters to take action.

The pack of men retreated to their lands to plan how to rid Forks of vampires.

Except Kheti failed to disclose one important detail to Billy Black. Enzo, in his desire to alleviate her personal guilt, gave the Volturi too much information. Their tracker and handful of individuals accompanied Aro to Forks. This meant that Billy needed everyone who could shift with no exception. She may not wish to help Enzo but she wasn't helping Billy Black either. If they wanted information, they could fetch it themselves.

She settled back for light reading of the newspaper when an article caught her eye. Local man missing, she laughed at it and read through the blurb with a sense of curiosity rather than desire to justify her act of rash anger. She put the paper away after reading the rest of the paper and finally spotted Allison cleaning the house with attention to detail. At least the woman wanted to pass on a clean house. Sad it needed to end this way.

Allison wanted left alone. Kheti understood this because she too preferred space after traumatic events. Enzo treated the mortal with a rough uncaring attitude and open disregard to her wishes. The author made it clear she wanted mortality. Unfortunately for all of them, with the Volturi involved her death and becoming a vampire cemented into stone. Nothing will save Allison.

Or Sehkhet Mariani. Once Aro learned of her passive role in everything, she'd too be punished. Maybe killed, especially given her age. She possessed the potential to lead her own coven just by age alone and chose not to.

If Aro learned of her role. She played with an idea that if emotions run too wild her thoughts will focus on the many emotional memories - not the lies. Not the scheming. Edward Cullen read minds without contact. Aro required contact to read minds. Jasper Cullen could twist her emotions into a hyperactive bomb going off. Or she just accepted her death as well. No one argued with the Volturi and walked away unscathed.

They are that powerful.

She made an alliance with Amun and Kebi but as long lived Egyptians they chose to preserve themselves. So how did she save Allison, not betray Enzo, and solve the problem of James, Victoria, and Laurent? Maybe doing nothing is the best action in this choice.

Two days later Aro surprised her while on the hunt in Portland. She lowered the dead criminal to the ground warily. He stood perfectly still in the alleyway exit draped in black. It took the ancient vampire less than a minute to spot his bodyguard.

" Can this wait?" She held the lifeless criminal by the back of his neck. " Humans are more observant than you may believe,"

He pointed to Demitri. She glanced up at the fire escape. " You have not visited in a long spell,"

" I track down vampires impacting history," She shrugged. " Therefore Volterra is not home,"

He stepped toward her. " You can be a member of the guard,"

" I've been a historian for too long to be settled in one location too long," She let the body drop to the ground. " However you appear well. Have you tracked down Enzo?"

Demitri dropped down behind her. She raised a brow at his proximity. " Yes. He's at your house,"

" And you haven't killed him, why?" She asked in brief emotional break.

" You," Demitri whispered. " You conspired with the shifters,"

" Shifters are not children of the moon," Kheti argued calmly. " Plus they're a solution you haven't embraced. Besides every government that is this old needs to exercise its show of enforcement. What better way to prove it than handle this problem?

Aro smiled, a creepy greek that resembled a - actually she refused to describe how creepy it is to see him smile. " You do not wish to kill him,"

" No. I do not. He is my husband after all," She raised a brow at Demitri's closeness. " Is this my death day? This alley my resting place?"

Aro stopped in front of her. " The opposite. Today is the day you acknowledge your husband earned his death,"

Once again the egyptians failed to understand why they came to her. She sighed. " He's an idiot bastard, power hungry, and greedy for more of everything. I don't understand what you want from me. Tears? I don't want him to die. He needs to die. To protect the peace," Aro's hand moved up her clothed arm. If she twitched he'd pry deeper. No fighting this.

He abruptly let go of her. " You are free,"

Before she uttered a word, she stood alone in the alleyway. What. The. Bloody. Fuck. Snatching up her meal in peace, she slung the body over her shoulder and found a quiet abandoned closet to eat in peace.


	11. Chapter 10

Springing from tree to tree, Enzo finally plummeted toward the ground and tucked and rolled for a softer landing. He darted forward, sliding past the lead two shapeshifters. The third tackled him head on and he jerked back three steps. Jaws snapped at his face eager to rip him to shreds. It's a wonder all of Forks hadn't heard or witnessed the confrontation yet.

He held the jaws shut with his hands and instantly regret it as a large maul bore down on his head. The jaw never trapped his head, a horde of vampires appearing in the large clearing. The shifters scattered, outnumbered and out muscled. They retreated to a safe distance, waiting for the chance to strike away.

Enzo lay on the ground in temporary relief.

Aro tossed back his hood, alerting Enzo it was too late to run.

Alec stripped Enzo of sight first, allowing him to have a sense of touch and smell to feel what was about to happen. Four pairs of hands grabbed hold of him as his hearing slipped away to nothing. Jane amplified the pain, planting a mental image of him being torn limb from limb. His cries of pain reached Nikolai miles away on the hunt for a deer. Recognizing Enzo's voice and sensing the others presences, he fled to Allison's home.

4:03 am.

Nikolai shook his beloved awake. The darkness of the room obliterated any awareness the sleepy Allison Bishop relied on. " We need to move -"

Holding her close to his chest, he listened to her calm beating heart in relief. The house blurred around him as he zipped from it to halfway through the thick trees and ran into the same group of vampires that killed Enzo. Demitri grinned at them.

A small hand tapped Nikolai's chest light. " Hey, Niko - I need to breathe,"

He loosened his grip instantly and muttered an apology in russian.

" It's alright, big guy. Could you tell the audience they can go home?" She peered out from the blanket he wrapped her in.

Despite his arms holding her, she felt no more safe in his arms than she did in her bed. The cold seeped through the blanket and from Nikolai himself.

The many pairs of eyes that stared back at them further unnerved Nikolai.

" A witch," A lone voice whispered in awe.

Nikolai turned Allison away from the prying eyes.

The world turned off sense by sense for Allison. Alec never twitched.

" You will not have her," Nikolai insisted. " Witches are not to be killed, remember? It's written in your laws," Nikolai refused to let Aro touch her. For some reason Aro chose to let the evasion continue.

Allison regained sight first, bright light dimming to a normal dawning hours.

The greek gripped Nikolais muscled arm. " I will not be stopped. I will have a witch if I hunt a witch for my coven,"

Nikolai dropped Allison to the ground and clutched his head.

Allison recovered quickly and clutched the blanket tight around her to ward off the cold. Tucking herself close to her fiance, she glared up at Aro. She searched for a reason as to why they were after her and her fiance. Her arms enveloped the man she loved despite her head telling her to stop loving him a time ago.

" A witch who can sense us," Aro dropped to her level. " Think of your powers amplified. You would be one of the most powerful in the Volturi,"

Nikolai shuddered in her arms. " Stop whatever it is you're doing to him,"

" Or what?" Aro moved behind her breathing down his neck. " You'll use crystals and tarot cards?"

Her jaw clenched. Cold. Tired. Scared. Irritated. " Witchcraft isn't a videogame,"

Well, it isn't everyday someone is ignorant of what videogames are. Despite that Nikolai moaned in pain and clenched within my arms. " Stop! He is no threat to you,"

Aro's hand snaked into my hair and gripped my mane, ice cold marble like skin to living flesh. A pressured presence filtered through my mind like a person rifling through a book, reading what appeared to be random thoughts. " Foolish mortal," He yanked her head back.

Nikolai ceased to shake. He caught his breath and held onto Allison.

Aro ripped Allison out of Nikolai's arms and tossed her into Jane. Jane easily held her down, digging nails into flesh. Before Allison screamed, Aro held her against a tree and sunk his teeth into her neck. Blood flowed from the fatal wound. Nikolai launched off the ground, halted mid air by an unnamed member of the guard physically interfering. They traded blows yards from Allison and Aro.

Blood dripped down Allison's throat from Aro's wrist, his hand holding her chin up to prevent her from spitting it back out. He unceremoniously dropped her to the ground and ordered the guard to let Nikolai out of the head lock subduing him. He licked his lips in satisfaction and ordered them to move out.

Allison's throat burned as if a fire torched it, her tongue and throat scorching. Tears ran down her cheek, her throat wound throbbing and swelling shut once more. Nikolai scrambled to her side and cupped her head in his hands, resting it on his lap. He leaned in and shielded her from the elements. Clothed only in pajama shorts, a tank top, and with a bloodied shoulder, Allison's hair splayed out in Nikolai's soaked lap. The snow cooled her body's temperature. Soon the tears turned into whimpers of pain, and with each heartbeat, the venom pushed through her veins toward her heart, burning away veins and transforming her into an ungodly being.

" Stay with me," He whispered in her ear, clutching her to his chest. He prayed to every saint he could remember and then to every god and goddess that his mind recalled from movies and books. None of it eased her current suffering.

Kheti found the both of them in the growing rays of daylight. The cold cooled Allison's body temperature and the pain of the torturous transformation contorted her mentality into that of blacking out the rest of her memories. " You can not stay here, Niko-"

" I know that, but I can't take her back to her home,"

" You could take her to Alaska," Kheti whispered to Nikolai. " Take her to Alaska, and I will meet you there," She placed money into Nikolai's hand. " She'll need clothes. Don't worry about sanitary items. She won't need them. A blood supply will be at the safehouse. I'll see that it's restocked as often as necessary. The longer you linger, the more intense the transformation becomes,"

Except Kheti underestimated the directness of the route that blood traveled. Aro dripped it directly down her throat and blood circulation forced it closer to her heart faster. The venom directly implanted in her neck wound worked double duty. Although Nikolai traveled via normal mortal transportation with the 'sick' Allison and flew privately to the private Alaskan compound Enzo purchased years before Nikolai was made, By the time they arrived in the beautifully decorated and extremely secure and self sufficient compound, Allison made the final transformation.

She opened her eyes for the first time as a vampire, sensory overwhelmed and extremely confused as to who she was. Nikolai helped his beloved explore their new home, shortly joined by Sehkhet two months following. She discovered the compound littered with witchcraft necessities and spell books and a Book of Shadows in its infancy. The young vampire practiced the craft out in open, her magic literally coming to life the moment she uttered words. Kheti expected Aro to claim the young woman, and when Aro requested a report on Allison Bishop's well being and progress as a vampire, Kheti never replied.

Allison's vampiric amnesia and shifting sense of self-awareness prevented the past from refusing the rekindling of a love between herself and Nikolai. Years passed in relative peace for the trio, Kheti effectively resigning from her position with the Volturi and leading the newly founding coven. Nikolai fully embraced Allison's gifts and heritage, and so it happened fifty four years and six months later, the witch regained a fully self-aware mind without constantly struggling to remember who she was and why she struggled to maintain that sense of awareness. The magic that ruled her mind subsided enough for the soul within to dominate once more.

Two weeks later, Sehkhet Mariani introduced Allison and Nikolai to Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia. Allison instantly disliked Amun and pitied Kebi and followed Kheti's lead in being quiet about her discontent with the imbalanced relationship between the ancient egyptians. Nikolai boasted of his mate's abilities and surprised Amun and Kebi with the knowledge that it was Aro's venom that turned Allison. Kheti informed the coven the Volturi were not welcome in her home nor would she permit Allison near them.

" I assure you," Allison stated for everyone's benefit and understanding. " I will never join the Volturi. Enzo may have been an enemy, but the Volturi act in manners that are vile and greedy. I'd sooner trust a shapeshifter with my life than the Volturi,"

" That is because you do not understand," Kebi said carefully.

Allison looked the former and arguably current slave in the eye. " My magical core was disturbed by his presence - their presence. I know when corruption is presence. I am a corruption of nature. No one is meant to control nature as Benjamin. No one is meant to read minds or attract people to them, or deprive people of senses or cause pain or cast imagery on another. It is a corruption most foul." She dusted the crushed crystal powder into her drawn rune. " He took from me my mortality. And I will take from him something equally precious one day,"

And so it came to pass, that not Enzo, but Aro himself made an enemy not even Alec could stop. With an adoring lover who supported her up to the very end when she claimed the life of her maker, Allison avenged her own death and gave up immortality on the day she attacked Aro. Side by side Nikolai and Allison killed Aro, Alec, Jane, and Corin before being slaughtered mercilessly by the remaining guard capable of reaching them. Kheti joined forces with Amun, Kebi, Benjamin, and Tia to attack Caius, Chelsea, and the guard that remained loyal to Caius. In the end Kheti fell with Kebi, leaving Amun, Benjamin, and Tia the survivors of the assault on the Volturi.

Marcus spared the lives of Amun, Benjamin, and Tia on the grounds that Aro had acted in opposition to the laws laid forth long ago. The young witch and the fledgling coven no longer mattered as they were destroyed by their own need for vengeance. Marcus determined that Amun, the well known leader of his coven, acted on the enforcement of the laws and fought to prevent a disregard of the crucial laws that governed vampires and permitted them to live in peace. The wives of Caius and Aro resisted this decision and ordered the death of the survivors, only to be overruled by the now determined Marcus to reinstate peace. No longer prisoners in Volterra, the wives assumed a public positioning with Marcus. The Volturi held its control of the vampire world, its more vile members purged from the ranks of leadership and the guard.

Within the existence of Chelsea, Corin, Alec, and Jane, the Volturi sought out new talent. Without Chelsea forcing loyalty, Corin being an addictive drug like presence, and the feared twins, the balance of power shifted. Suddenly the Volturi were no longer as well protected as they boasted of. Suddenly the world, even if they considered the attack an abomination and total disrespect, believed the Volturi not above falling in on itself.


	12. Author Note

I originally planned the ending with Allison committing suicide. I discarded that because it wasn't a logical acceptance that any of the vampires would have allowed in the plot. Plus I don't want to trigger anyone that is suicidal. Suicide is not the answer. It never is. To those who are suicidal I hope you receive help and have a strong support system. You are loved, even if you aren't loved by those near you. Know you are loved.

As for the ending itself, I took liberties. Obviously.

I may or may not pick this up and add to it, but I have other stories I wish to work on and I honestly wanted to involve more Isabella and Edward but the story evolved away from them.

I may or may not use the newly created characters in a future Twilight fanfiction. I am partial to the idea of a witch vampire and I love ancient egypt so Kheti will likely make a return.

Anyway, happy reading and I hope life is well for all.


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